Destination Tampa Bay – Secrets Wild Orchid
Check out Tammy Levent’s stories in the Spring 2013 issue of Destination Tampa Bay.
SECRETS WILD ORCHID: The Best Kept “Secret” in Jamaica
Usually it takes me a few days just to unwind when I arrive at a resort – and by that time, my vacation is halfway over. This is why I chose Secrets Wild Orchid in Montego Bay, Jamaica, for my destination wedding and honeymoon: I walk in, and by the time I see the bottom of my Welcome Cocktail glass, I feel completely relaxed and at home.
As founder and CEO of Elite Travel, I’ve specialized in helping couples play their dream vacations, destination weddings and honeymoons for over a decade. So, when it was my turn to be the bride, I knew exactly what I wanted and where I wanted it. Secrets Wild Orchid had everything on my dream wedding wish list: incredible service, a beautiful new property, and a wedding ceremony and reception price tag of under $1,000.
I’ve been coming to the resort since they opened in 2010 – In fact, I’ve been back so many times that the resort staff feels like my own family. While I may be one of the few guests who can say the resort’s general manager walked me down the aisle (how is that for full service?), I’m not the only one to feel something special for this place.
User review sites are cluttered with positive comments about the service; it’s the kind of resort where not only does the staff remember your name, but you remember theirs. This special environment is created by the close-knit group of owners who treat the property like their own boutique resort. Guests feel that genuine care and attention to detail in every part of their experience.
Having been to some of the most beautiful resorts in the world, I can safely say that I don’t believe in roughing it. Not my style. It’s not Secrets’ style either: Every room in the resort is a suite, complete with a Jacuzzi tub, sitting area and balcony or patio with an exceptional view. And, the amenities only go up from there with top shelf liquor and a world-class spa. In my opinion – which I thoroughly researched during my honeymoon – Secrets Wild Orchid has one of the best spas out of all of the AM Resort properties.
An Ambitious vacationer could start the day with watersports, spend an afternoon at the Spa getting wrapped, scrubbed and polished from head-to-toe and enjoy an evening full of the best Jamaican music groups on the island. Or, spend a week like I did, lounging in a cabana for hours on end, stretching only to request refills on my mojito.